Nurses need more than just a passing knowledge of wound care in order to effectively care for patients.
Nurses generally know the basics about the skin as an organ system and the difference between the clean or sterile technique of wound care. The basics are important, but often not enough to properly care for a patient suffering from a wound.
As covered by this blog in the past, the number of patients requiring wound care is projected to continue to expand because people are living longer and instances of chronic conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity put more people at risk for developing wounds.
Rather than relying on a specialist for wound care expertise, nurses should seek out additional education to become as advanced as possible in wound care training .
Lectures and seminars are an excellent source of information, and the cost to attend may even be covered an employer. For clinicians who want a credentialed education, there is a wide spectrum of levels of certification in wound care, offered by a number of organizations such as the Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nursing Certification Board (WOCNCB), the American Board of Wound Management, and the Wound Care Education Institute.
If that is not an option consider going the virtual route. There is a wealth of online wound care training including medical journals featuring the latest case studies. In cases that require immediate attention consider asking wound care experts at another location through social media (such as the WoundRounds YouTube channel) or a live video feed.